Sardonyx
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Description
A type of onyx, which is an Agate with parallel bands. Sardonyx has layers of brownish sard (red carnelian) alternating with lighter-color layers of onyx. Often used as a gemstone, it has been mined or gathered since before 2200 BCE.
Synonyms and Related Terms
onyx; quartz; agate; chalcedony
Physical and Chemical Properties
Fracture = conchoidal. Luster = vitreous to waxy. Streak = white.
| Mohs Hardness | 7.0 |
|---|---|
| Density | 2.6 |
Comparisons
Properties of Common Gemstones
Resources and Citations
- Mineralogy Database: Quartz
- Jack Odgen, Jewellery of the Ancient World, Rizzoli International Publications Inc., New York City, 1982
- Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
- A.Lucas, J.R.Harris, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries, Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd., London, 4th edition, 1962
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
- C.W.Chesterman, K.E.Lowe, Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979